Children Who Study Piano with Excellent Teachers in the United States.

Private piano instruction represents a large proportion of music education in the United States, and for many children private piano study is the only individualized music instruction they will receive (Steinel, 1990). However, the population of children who study piano privately has been the topic of few research investigations, and relatively little is known about the students who participate in piano lessons in this country. Individualized music instruction has an extensive and rich history, and the long tradition of music apprenticeship (i.e., private study with a master teacher) has led to deeply held convictions about the purposes, benefits, and substance of private music study (Power, 1991; Roell, 1989). Somewhat surprisingly, however, these widely held beliefs have not been the focus of research in music education (Madsen, 1988). The National Music Assessment and similar national surveys provide valuable information about the outcomes of music instruction nationwide (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 1981; National Center for Education Statistics, 1991), but less is known about the actual content of instruction that leads to these outcomes (Cooper, 1996; Dy*al, 1992) or about possible ancillary benefits associated with music study (Office of Educational Research & Improvement, 1986, 1991). Official curricula, adopted textbooks, and repertoire lists may provide